Bullying Prevention Month at Peebles Elementary

October was Bully Prevention Month at Peebles Elementary School. Throughout the month, the students at Peebles Elementary engaged in several activities to promote Bullying Awareness. Throughout these activities, students were given information about bullying, what it looks/sounds like, how to handle it, and how to promote a bully-free school. The theme for Bully Prevention Month was “PES Rocks: Bully and Drug Free.” The activities throughout the month included the following:

Lessons on Bullying: Students were presented with information to help them recognize what bullying is, the types of bullying: verbal, emotional, physical, and cyber, and ways to handle a bully. Students were also made aware of the consequences of bullying. Students were asked to “buddy up” when they see bullying happen. Students were encouraged to not join in and stand up for others. Activities during this time enabled students to understand how rumors start, how it feels to be excluded and that we are all the same. The lessons’ number one goal was for students to learn to tell someone.

Anti-Bullying Contracts: Students and their parents were encouraged to sign this agreement, vowing to not participate in bullying, to make good choices, and promote an anti-bullying environment at home and school.

Signatures on the Bully Free banners: All students who returned their Anti-Bullying Contracts were permitted to sign and handprint the “Be a Buddy, Not a Bully” poster for their grade level.

Poster Contests (Grades 1-6): Students created posters to promote bullying awareness and the theme. All posters were displayed in the main hall and winners (First-Third Place) were selected by a panel of staff judges. The winners all received a pizza party for their hard work. Winners were: First-Carly Vaughn, Second-Shaelin Trantow, Third (tied)-Rylee Barr and Kasidee Washburn.

Music: The students in grade levels K-6 learned songs that related to speaking out against bullies and standing up for what is right. They learned the songs entitled “Say Something” and “I Just Want You to be Brave.”

Friend of the Week Campaign: During the week of Oct. 12, students were encouraged to make friends with someone they didn’t know at school. Students exhibited kindness toward students they weren’t normally friends with or didn’t know much about. At the end of the week, every homeroom teacher nominated a “Friend of the Week” and those students were allowed to attend a pizza party for making good choices and being overly kind to others. The students selected and pictured are: Preschool-Aubree Hoop, Gabrielle Howard; Kindergarten-Marisa Estle, Amryn Carroll, Kole Henderson, McKenna Bennington; First Grade-Chase Hamblin, Kaden Proctor, Levi Burke, Andy McFarland; Second Grade-Nash Grooms, Lydia Klump, Steven Bryant, Ryne Warren; Third Grade-Hayden Browning, Madison Ross, Haylee Hedrick, Matthew Richendollar; Fourth Grade-Season Schultz, Skylar Sturgill, Liberty Martz, Christopher Oldfield; Fifth Grade-Lydia Phipps, Mason Sims, Madisyn Long, Jaida Rollins; and Sixth Grade-Olivia Lamb, Chance Hall, Hailey Cole

STAND UP for Others Week: During the week of Oct. 19, students were encouraged to take extra steps when seeing someone being bullied, to be brave and stand up for them. In addition, students were instructed to get the help of an adult immediately if at any time they did not feel safe. The goal for this week’s promotion was to be part of the solution—not the problem.

The goal throughout the month was not only to make the message clear that we have zero tolerance for bullying at PES but to get students involved. The hope was that allowing students to get involved in relaying the message, the lesson would be better received, and some students would become leaders in promoting a positive, bully-free environment. The month’s activities proved to be very successful, and the impact will hopefully be long-standing as Peebles Elementary continues to promote the Bully and Drug-Free campaign throughout the school year.

For more information on any of these activities, contact Peebles Elementary at (937) 587-2611.

Pictured here are the Peebles Elementary winners of the “Friend of the Week”, nominated by the school’s homeroom teachers.

http://www.peoplesdefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_PES2.jpgPictured here are the Peebles Elementary winners of the “Friend of the Week”, nominated by the school’s homeroom teachers. Submitted photos